Closed Can You Help? pv: Colin McCoire

Attire: Usual weekend kit: Slytherin pride, neck ring, kilt, no shoes. Nothing fancy!

Reducio

Colin had been surprised to receive an owl from Keith yesterday! As he opened it, he wondered if something was wrong. Was someone trying to attack him or did something bad happen at home? He reread the letter:

Dear Colin,
Hey, it's Keith! Um... I've got to talk to you about something. It's important, so when you've got time, I was wondering if you could talk by the lake with me. Tomorrow I've got nothing to do, so if that works with you, then you'll find me at the lake, by the tree we talked by on the first day we met.
Sincerely~ your friend Keith M.

He knew Keith liked to run and would probably be out early, so Colin figured his friend would most likely already be there by now. He stuffed the letter into his pocket and ran down towards the lake. As he went, his mind filled up with all sorts of crazy mad ideas why he needed to talk. He did say it was important, Colin thought. So maybe he's getting an owl of his own; or no, maybe he's having trouble with some goofball Gryff?

He'd find out soon enough! He caught sight of Keith's intensely purple hair and decided to try and sneak up on his friend! Colin poked the boy between his shoulder blades as he sat down next to him. "Hey Keith! What's up, laddie?" He took the letter out his pocket and waved it about. "You said it's important. What's it about? Are you getting an owl!?"

Colin settled down to hear what Keith had to say. Whatever it was, he'd do his best to help his friend through it.

@Keith Moore

Keith continued to sit by the tree, admiring how beautiful the lake and mountains surrounding Hogwarts. Such a wonderful beauty. I wish Aunt Brenda could see this. I wonder if Colin's going to be able to talk today. Well, I might as well sit here and wait. Let's draw again."

Keith closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it against the tree. He thought about his interaction with Clark, laughing remembering how terrible the boy was at lying. He remembered walking with him, and talking about things. Keith started blushing again thinking about the boy.

Keith went back to sketching, and was almost done drawing Clark's head and hair when he felt a poke between his shoulder blades, then Colin was beside him. "Hey Colin! How was your day?" Keith said smiling. He set his sketchbook, and drawing stuff to the side and turned to Colin.

"It is important, to me at least. No I'm not getting an owl." Keith turned away for a second, "How do I word this?" he thought, then turned back to his friend. "Well, um... the other day, I met someone, and this like, um, fluttery feeling came to my stomach. I don't know what it is. Well, then when he talked to me my cheeks started to burn, and my mind started thinking things I've never thought before." Keith turned his head away, now that he was saying these things out loud, he was blushing again. "His name is Clark. Well, his whole name is Clark William Baird-Carter. We met two days after the ball." Keith paused, then added, "And he is a terrible lair." Keith laughed thinking of the boy trying to lie that day, October 10th.

Wc: -286- Interacting with: @Colin McCoire
Talking about: @Clark William Baird-Carter

Colin noticed that Keith had been drawing something in his sketch book, but couldn't make out what it was before he closed it and set it aside. The lakeside was a great place to sit and draw, though from the pensive look on Keith's face, he suspected that sketching was not what drew them together this morning. In fact, Colin was beginning to suspect that owls probably weren't involved either.

"It is important, to me at least. No I'm not getting an owl."

Drat, Colin thought. A new mate for Uhuu would be brilliant! He waited for Keith to collect his thoughts and set them out in words. He kind of stammered a bit, and there were quite a few ums sprinkled among his words. Colin listened intently. He sounds almost as bad as I do when I'm talking about C---

Wh---!

"We met two days after the ball. --- And he is a terrible lair."

"WHOA!" he exclaimed. His mouth formed a perfect O of surprise and he raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. Laddie!" He counted out on his fingers: "Met someone? --- fluttery feeling? --- blushing cheeks? --- weird thoughts?"

Colin stood up suddenly and began pacing dramatically in front of Keith. He looked very much like a healer about to take on a particularly difficult case of dragon pox. His hands were folded and he pressed this thumbs against his fangs as if in deep thought and consideration. "Clark, eh. Hmmmm." He glanced at Keith. Was that a slight blush dancing across Keith's cheeks even now? Boy did Colin know this feeling!

"Very interesting indeed! And I do believe I know exactly what is wrong with you!" Colin crouched down in front Keith and gave him a wicked smile. He nodded slightly towards the sketch book. "I do know what's going on here, my friend! Tell me this: I'll give thee a whole gold galleon right now ---" Colin fished around in his pocket and pulled a coin from it. He held it up. "--- It's yours if there's not at least one picture of Clark William Baird-Carter in that whole book!"

He gave Keith a sly, fangy grin. "Show me and we'll talk serious!" Colin waited eagerly to see if he was right about Keith or if he'd lose a galleon to his friend.

@Keith Moore

Keith saw Colin's surprise, "See, he knows what's going on! It was smart to go to him." Keith smiled, then Colin stood up and began pacing. Keith was a bit confused, but didn't say a word. He watched Colin pace back and forth, like a muggle doctor about to do a 12 hour surgery. Colin said Clark's name, Keith nodded his head.

Colin said he knew what was up with Keith! "You do! That's great, cause I need to know." Keith stood up, smiling, then Colin nodded at Keith's sketchbook. "Oh no..." Keith thought, then Colin made a bet, that if Keith hadn't drawn Clark then Colin would give him a galleon. Colin grinned and then said Keith had to show him. He had drawn Clark three times already...

Keith picked up his sketchbook, "Here you go..." he said handing it to the older boy. There was a sketch of Clark, in his skull underpants, and yellow hoodie like the day Keith had met him. There was one of Clark in his jean shorts and same hoodie, how he looked when Keith and him had walked and talked. Then there was one of him in his school clothes, Keith saw him one day, but was to scared to say hi. On all the drawings of Clark there was at least on heart.

There were other things, like Keith had drawn Colin and him sitting by the tree, like the day they met. There was Bailey and Kim, he thought they looked good together. There was his dorm, and the great hall, and the lake.

Wc: -264- Interacting with: @Colin McCoire
Talking about and thinking about: @Clark William Baird-Carter

"Here you go..."

Keith handed Colin the sketch book to Colin and he began looking through it. Colin lay back and stretched out on the bit of grass under the tree. He recognised the sketches of the lake the castle and the grounds. He gasped when he saw a picture of himself and Keith sitting under this very tree! He smiled thinking back to the day they'd met, and how he ended up face down in the mud and they came down here to talk.

He also saw a picture of Bailey and --- wait. Bailey and --- Kim!? He raised an eyebrow as he looked up to where Keith was standing. Did Keith know something? Colin always wondered about his friend Kim. That lad really knew how to keep a secret! For a long while he had thought Kim liked Sophia. But then there was that other girl, Regina. Colin wasn't sure what was going on there!

But then he got to the sketches that Keith must have wanted him to see. They were of a boy Colin didn't know, and couldn't remember having seen around. He'd certainly recall seeing a lad wearing a yellow jacket and a skull on his skants!

Colin smiled.

There was a wee heart somewhere on each of the drawings. "Aye, this is a full blown case, laddie!" He motioned for Keith to sit or lie down next to him.

"I'm gonna tell you something. I've got a sketch book too, and there're doodles in there of a certain lassie." He smiled and breathed deeply. "Clair. Sometimes she's flying her broom, sometimes riding a horse, sometimes sitting with me." He sighed. "There're lots of wee hearts too!"

"I know all about the blushing and the burning cheeks and the weird thoughts. Aye. And the stammering and the fluttery feelings! Say, Keith! Does your heart hammer away like he's gonna pound right out of your chest? Mine does."

He looked over at his friend. "I'm afraid this is not curable, lad. Not at all. In fact, you've got the same incurable condition I've got! Yep. I got bit by it last year! She was a real cute and smart girl. Ravenclaw, too, like Clair. I don't know what happened to her. She disappeared after first year. I reckon it's the same with two laddies," Colin nodded sagely. "You, my friend, have a crush!"

@Keith Moore

Keith watched as Colin flipped through his sketchbook for a while, then he looked around, trying to think of something to think about. Keith turned back when he heard Colin say something about a case. Keith went and sat next to Colin, "So what is it?"

Keith knew Colin had a sketchbook, he had told Keith he liked to draw the day they met. Keith had already figured Colin was going to say he drew Clair, so he wasn't surprised when Colin said he had drew the Ravenclaw girl, and he drew hearts on the drawings of her. He had said he drew her a lot, on horses, and flying.

Keith listened to Colin talk about a hammering heart, and nodded yes when Colin asked him about it, "It does whenever he talks to me." He told the boy.

Keith listened to Colin tell him what was wrong with Keith. "An incurable thing?And Colin got it too? What? That's sad she disappeared, wonder where she went." Keith thought, whilst he listened to his friend speak.

Keith entire brain paused, then after a few seconds he was able to speak again, "A CRUSH?" he said loudly, then blushed with embarrassment. "A crush? That's what this is? It makes sense now, so this is what it feels like."

Keith turned to his friend, "I've never had a crush before. All my muggle friends had them in primary school, but I never really liked anyone before. So this is new... Thanks for the help Colin!" Keith smiled, "I might draw you and Clair next, if you don't mind. Can I have my sketchbook back?" He asked, realizing Colin never handed it back.

Wc: -276ish- Interacting with: @Colin McCoire
Crushing on: @Clark William Baird-Carter

Colin nodded when Keith said his heart hammered with excitement too. He looked so anxious to hear what Colin had to say, he might actually explode. Colin recalled his own talks with Sophia and even Pax about love and crushing on someone. Colin smiled at the memories, and more especially when he remembered telling Liam about Jarael.

Yep. Poor laddie had it bad too! Colin decided --- eventually --- that his friend had suffered in dark ignorance long enough and told him what was going on. The look on Keith's face, though, was precious when Colin did finally pronounce his verdict.

"A CRUSH?" Keith shouted. Colin couldn't help but laugh at his mate. "Aye laddie, that's what this is! Ye're showing all the signs! Classic!"

Keith couldn't quite believe it at first, but he did say it made sense to him. "Feels real nice doesn't it? I loved how I felt last year. And if this is your first, laddie --- whoa." Colin flopped onto his back in the grass with his arms and legs spread out. Keith's sketch book fell to the grass next to Colin's hand. "CLAAAAIIIIRRRR!!!!" Colin roared up to the sky! Then he laughed. "She makes me feel a hundred times more crushier, more happier! Oh goodness, Keith! Wait til your next crush! You'll be bouncing off the walls too!"

It took Colin a moment to realise that Keith had thanked him for his help and asked for his sketch book back. "Oh! Sure!" Colin stretched his right arm over and got hold of the book. He passed it to his left hand and then handed it over to Keith. "I'd love it if you drew me and Clair! Ahhh! She's so cute Keith!"

Colin lay back pondering the nature of boys and their crushes. A thought struck him, especially in light of what Keith had said about the kids in his muggle school. Almost as an afterthought, he said: "Of course, Amortentia can make you feel that way too, lad. Very powerful that potion. That's something we have to consider very seriously."

@Keith Moore || Mentions @Clair Fernandez | @Sophia Nelson | @Pax Zhang

Keith smiled, glad to find an answer to what this feeling for Clark was. Keith turned to Colin, who was laughing! "What's so funny?!" Keith asked, then chuckled. Colin said it was a case? A case, really? Then Keith remembered the muggle saying, and what a "full blown case" was. He felt dumb for forgetting.

Keith half listened to Colin, who was saying something about last year. Keith turned back when he heard a thump like sound, and saw Colin laying on the ground. Then he yelled the Ravenclaw girl's name, Clair, the girl Colin was in love with. She was pretty, Keith had seen her a few times, at the ball, and in the Great Hall. Colin had told him that she was a broom racer.

Colin handed Keith his sketchbook back, saying it would be fine if Keith drew Colin and Clair. Keith smiled, that would be very fun to draw. Keith went to sit back down by Colin, " I've seen her a few times, at the ball, and in the halls sometimes." Keith told him.

Keith suddenly remembered something, Clark had said something that day they met, Keith pushed it out of his head, he would keep that to himself. He turned to listen to Colin, who said something about Amortentia. Keith knew it was powerful, his Aunt had taught him a bit about the magic world, but she mainly lived the muggle way, and didn't talk about her magic and stuff often.

"What are you saying Colin, why are you bringing up Amortentia?" Keith asked.

Wc: -260- Interacting with: @Colin McCoire

Colin fell silent again as he thought about Clair. He was so happy he'd finally gotten to be with her at the ball! Just that made all the dark thoughts of the days leading up to the ball dissipate as if the Sun had broken through a fog.

He closed his eyes and visions of Clair flying her broom zoomed across his mind! And then she invited him to study in the library. And then they were out after curfew exploring the castle. He really began to wonder about himself and Clair. "Clair..." Colin whispered her name. He loved the sound of it as it whispered through his throat and past his lips. Her name filled his universe.

In fact, Colin quite forgot all about Keith. He toyed idly with the raven feathers that were stuck into his braid. He liked the scent of Clair's hair. And he liked the way she sat to study. He liked watching her hair fall across her face and how she'd tuck up up behind her ear.

Colin sighed! Clair was so beautiful!!

And she was pretty smart too, and curious about everything! She'd probably read every book in the library twice by now --- "Oh, lassie, I love that in a girl! We should race through the library together!"

Colin sighed again and smiled.

"Oi!" He remembered that he was actually here to help Keith with his problem! He turned onto his side, saying: "Sorry lad, I was daydreaming about Clair! Ahh, Clair is sooo daydreamable!"

"What are you saying Colin, why are you bringing up Amortentia?" Keith seemed to be worried.

Colin blinked. "Amortentia?" Colin blinked again, confused. Why was Keith bringing up Amortentia? Suddenly it dawned on Colin that it was actually him who mentioned it before he started thinking and gushing about Clair! "She really does have the bluest eyes, does Clair!"

He looked over at Keith. Oof. "Oh. Right! Amorentia." He sat up so he could address the problem head on. "Er. Well, tis a very powerful potion, lad! A so-called [/i]love potion![/i]. Me seanmamó says it looks all shiny and it smells different for different people. It could be that someone gave it you to drink! You'd start gushing about Clark, and daydreaming about him, and you wouldn't be able to stop thinking about him!"

Colin nodded sagely. Of course, the possibility never once crossed his mind that he could have gotten a tankard full of the stuff! "Problem with that stuff is it doesn't really make you love the person, right? Nah. Love is waaay too strong for mere magic." Colin's face lit up, because this was one potion he knew something about! "Aye, me Da and me Ma and me Seanmamó and even Moira --- she's my mental older sister --- warned me and Liam away from it! Like, maybe what you're feeling about Clark is the potion, and you really like some other lad, or even a lassie! And you won't know it, because of the amortentia."

@Keith Moore || Mentions: @Clair Fernandez